Is getting above a 4.0 possible?

[753698]

I was browsing on ADEA Dental School Explorer and schools like Harvard etc. had GPA's above 4.0 for their 95th percentile. I was wondering how that's possible? Are A+'s still counted as a 4.3, or are they counted as a 4.0? It seems their data is recent from 2017-2018

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[2jz]

At the school I went to, graduate students could be issued an A+ if the instructor decided to include them in their grading scheme (and it'd appear as a 4.3 on your transcript). However, undergraduates could not be awarded an A+. No clue if that's the typical trend for other universities.

 

[Iroh]

Probably what they report are the grades posted on their admitted students transcripts. Raw grades that have been untouched.

Transcripts when sent to AADSAS are converted into AADSAS' scale so +/- grades are tweaked.

 

[Nachatta]

I think A+ was counted as 4.3 a couple years ago when AADSAS adjusted grades but I think it got changed.. not 100% though

 

[artist2022]

^ A+ was counted as a 4.3 up until the 2017-2018 cycle (I'm pretty sure). So, the 2017-2018 book may have stats from people who entered/matriculated in 2017, which means they applied during the 2016-2017 cycle, when it was still counted as a 4.3. Hope this makes sense.

 

[753698]

^ A+ was counted as a 4.3 up until the 2017-2018 cycle (I'm pretty sure). So, the 2017-2018 book may have stats from people who entered/matriculated in 2017, which means they applied during the 2016-2017 cycle, when it was still counted as a 4.3. Hope this makes sense.

So just to clarify, it is not counted as a 4.3 anymore? Does this mean that the nobody will be getting above a 4.0 anymore?

Probably what they report are the grades posted on their admitted students transcripts. Raw grades that have been untouched.

Transcripts when sent to AADSAS are converted into AADSAS' scale so +/- grades are tweaked.

At the school I went to, graduate students could be issued an A+ if the instructor decided to include them in their grading scheme (and it'd appear as a 4.3 on your transcript). However, undergraduates could not be awarded an A+. No clue if that's the typical trend for other universities.

Hmm that's weird because at my university they don't give me a 4.3 for getting an A+. It counts as a 4.0. I guess if other universities count it as a 4.3 they could have an unfair advantage, but the GPA is recalculated when you submit your grades right?

And in general, shouldn't a student getting an A+ be rewarded by a higher GPA than an A, because getting a 97.5 is significantly better (imo) than getting a 93.5, even if they are only 4 percentage points away.

 

[artist2022]

So just to clarify, it is not counted as a 4.3 anymore? Does this mean that the nobody will be getting above a 4.0 anymore?

No. It's not counted as a 4.3 anymore and thus no one can have a GPA higher than 4.0.

I guess if other universities count it as a 4.3 they could have an unfair advantage, but the GPA is recalculated when you submit your grades right?

That's exactly why, and yes it is. If some count it and others don't, how do you standardize that? By not counting it for anyone. Schools can still look at your transcripts and see A+s, but every university grades differently. What if one school gives an A+ for 100+, and another for 95+, and another for 97+? How do you standardize that? So that's why everything is just counted as a 4.0.

And in general, shouldn't a student getting an A+ be rewarded by a higher GPA than an A, because getting a 97.5 is significantly better (imo) than getting a 93.5, even if they are only 4 percentage points away.

That's an argument for your school. This is just the way the dental system application works.

 

[753698]

No. It's not counted as a 4.3 anymore and thus no one can have a GPA higher than 4.0.

That's exactly why, and yes it is. If some count it and others don't, how do you standardize that? By not counting it for anyone. Schools can still look at your transcripts and see A+s, but every university grades differently. What if one school gives an A+ for 100+, and another for 95+, and another for 97+? How do you standardize that? So that's why everything is just counted as a 4.0.

That's an argument for your school. This is just the way the dental system application works.

Ah I see what you mean.

So now will most Dental schools still count an A+ higher in their minds when they look at a transcript, even if it's not officially different than an A GPA wise? Because I've always been motivated to get A+ instead of A, but when I saw it doesn't change my GPA at all then I got discouraged, especially since getting straight A+ is difficult you cannot make too many mistakes in any given class. I was wondering if it still looks good to D schools in general getting straight A+ than straight A.

Thanks

 

[artist2022]

So now will most Dental schools still count an A+ higher in their minds when they look at a transcript, even if it's not officially different than an A GPA wise?

I don't think so, just exactly for the reason I gave above- dental schools don't know an undergrad's grading criteria and thus don't know how hard a student had to work for an A+. Did they just have to get 95+? Did they have to get 97+? Did they have to do extra credit/bonus to get 100+?

I don't think they really care too much about A+s....the whole change was due to large differences in GPA, I would think. The playing field was not level with some people getting a 4.3 because their undergrad awarded A+s, and some people only getting a 4.0 because their undergrad didn't award A+s. Granted, the playing field is still not level with differences in difficulty between different undergrads, but that's where the DAT comes in.

 

[753698]

I don't think so, just exactly for the reason I gave above- dental schools don't know an undergrad's grading criteria and thus don't know how hard a student had to work for an A+. Did they just have to get 95+? Did they have to get 97+? Did they have to do extra credit/bonus to get 100+?

I don't think they really care too much about A+s....the whole change was due to large differences in GPA, I would think. The playing field was not level with some people getting a 4.3 because their undergrad awarded A+s, and some people only getting a 4.0 because their undergrad didn't award A+s. Granted, the playing field is still not level with differences in difficulty between different undergrads, but that's where the DAT comes in.

Ohh I see what you mean. Yeah even in my school some classes do the +/- system, other don't. So I have some classes where I should have earned an A+ but I got an A because there was no +/-

Regardless though if you are from a rather rigorous, well known state flagship Uni, wouldn't the dental admission committee know how the grading system works in that school? And wouldn't having a transcript of majority A+ rather than A look even better? Or in your opinion is there really no point gunning for A+, and it's ok to settle for an A since they are the same GPA anyway?

 

[artist2022]

Regardless though if you are from a rather rigorous, well known state flagship Uni, wouldn't the dental admission committee know how the grading system works in that school? And wouldn't having a transcript of majority A+ rather than A look even better? Or in your opinion is there really no point gunning for A+, and it's ok to settle for an A since they are the same GPA anyway?

I mean, I guess they could know but in a state like Cali, we have CSUs and UCs.... and each of them are different....so.... and I think dental schools would have better things to do than to know how a state flagship university's grading scale works... Maybe this would work if a school had both an undergrad and a dental school (like UCLA), but even then, they operate differently.

You can't bank on one school knowing how your grading system works- other dental schools may not care about your A+s so yeah there might not be any point gunning for an A+ when that time can be better spent preparing for the DAT. A+s could help if you want to graduate with honors, but I don't think they're going to help you with dental school.

 

[753698]

I mean, I guess they could know but in a state like Cali, we have CSUs and UCs.... and each of them are different....so.... and I think dental schools would have better things to do than to know how a state flagship university's grading scale works... Maybe this would work if a school had both an undergrad and a dental school (like UCLA), but even then, they operate differently.

You can't bank on one school knowing how your grading system works- other dental schools may not care about your A+s so yeah there might not be any point gunning for an A+ when that time can be better spent preparing for the DAT. A+s could help if you want to graduate with honors, but I don't think they're going to help you with dental school.

Oh ok, makes sense. Thanks

 

[AppalachianDentalBoy]

smh all these try hards. Just get 90s and you're good.